saying yes
by fairytalelights
Summary: Jack Frost is head over heels for Merida Dunbroch, but she refuses to go out with him. This may or may not be because of a certain Aster Bunnymund. /Hogwarts AU/
1. will you go out with me?

**Firstly, a HUGE thank you to frostystuffs. for, you know, all your lovely reviews on my asterida oneshots and everything. thank you so much.**

**(note: this is _not _a oneshot! probably. maybe a twoshot. or something.)**

* * *

><p>It's another day in Hogwarts. Sunlight is filtering in through the windows, there is a hush in the library as Madam Pince keeps her eyes out for any troublemakers, Filch is prowling the corridors with Mrs Norris, McGonagall is scolding a couple of Slytherins, Snape is breathing down the necks of a few second-year Hufflepuffs and the house-elves are scurrying about the kitchen.<p>

"C'mon, Merida! One date!"

"I told you, Frost, I'm not interested!"

A skinny, white-haired boy with bright blue eyes in a Slytherin robe is trailing after a redheaded Scottish girl with her Hogwarts robes lined in Gryffindor colours, her arms full of books. Next to her, a blond girl with bright green eyes has to bite her lip as she shakes her head, following her friend.

"It's not going to kill you!" With lightning speed, Jack Frost darts in front of Merida Dunbroch and her best friend Rapunzel Corona, causing them to skid to a stop. He holds up the flower he's picked from one of the greenhouses. "Please? One date? We'll go wherever you want to go! Zonko's, the Shrieking Shack, the Three Broomsticks, the Hog's Head if you want – "

"Frost." Merida says the name through gritted teeth. "I. Am. Not. Interested."

"You are," he says, instantly. "You totally are. Come on, the Hogsmeade visit is coming up! We'll go together, have fun, and you'll realise and admit to yourself how much you like spending time with me – "

Merida rolls her eyes and shoves her way past him, pulling Rapunzel along with her.

"You'll say yes one day!" Jack calls after her, as she disappears around a corridor. "I don't give up so easily, Merida!"

She doesn't bother to reply.

* * *

><p>"You know, most girls would do anything to be in your position right now."<p>

Merida raises her head from the parchment she's scribbling on. "Doing an essay for History of Magic?"

Rapunzel scoffs, and rolls her eyes. "C'mon, Merida. Don't play dumb. I'm talking about Jack Frost!"

"Yeah, yeah," Merida mutters, bending over her parchment again and deciding to ignore the Hufflepuff girl's last sentence.

"_Merida_!"

"What?" her head snaps back up again. Rapunzel is staring at her with those big green eyes of her, the stare that demands answers.

"Why won't you say yes?" Rapunzel wants to know. "He _is _only asking for one date. And it's Jack Frost we're talking about. At least three-quarters of the girls in this school are in love with him."

Merida sighs. "You know why."

Rapunzel bites her lip, and shakes her head. She lowers her voice: "You're not really still thinking about _him_?"

Merida shrugs her shoulders, and doesn't say anything.

"Merida – "

"C'mon, Punz, I have to get this essay done before Quidditch practice," says Merida, and she bends down over the parchment again.

Rapunzel sighs.

* * *

><p>Quidditch practice is draining. It's exhausting, and it's tiring, and it's raining and muddy and Merida cannot wait to get into the locker room and change out of her clothes. All she can think of is collapsing into one of the armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, possibly with Astrid, who is scowling fiercely at anything that stands in her path to the locker rooms.<p>

When she's finally changed out, and her broom stored in the shed, she walks out to find a familiar figure just coming in.

"Hey, Dunbroch. That was some nice stuff you did out there today."

It's Aster Bunnymund, the Gryffindor Keeper, on his way to keep his own broom and lock up.

Merida feels her heart racing suddenly, thumping and hammering in her chest, and she wishes she wasn't so dirty and muddy, but really that's just completely ridiculous because Aster's seen her the whole practice flying about and getting drenched and everything –

"Thanks," she manages to say. Then she grins. "You're not so bad yourself, Bunny."

"Watch it, mate," he says, warningly, but there's a grin on his face. His hand lands on her shoulder. "Go get some rest, Red. You need it."

He nods at Astrid, who's just come out of the shed behind Merida, and mentions something to her about her own practice, and he disappears inside the broomshed.

"Your face is red," Astrid tells her, as they make their way up into the castle. "Gods, it's incredible how that guy hasn't figured it out yet."

"_Astrid_!" Merida guesses her face is probably even redder than her hair now, but she can't be bothered. "Could you be any less discreet?"

"No one's listening," says Astrid, which is true – the rest of the team's either still in the locker room or already back in the castle. "Seriously, though? The guy hasn't figured out that you're crushing on him like mad?"

Merida shakes her head, numbly. "He doesn't know," she says. "Oh, god, Astrid, he _can't _know."

"He's a nice guy, you know."

"It's embarrassing," Merida admits. "And, I mean, you know Aster. He's a great guy, and everything. And I don't want to ruin our friendship."

Astrid sighs, but she can respect that. She thinks of how her own friendship with Eret was nearly ruined, and she thinks that Merida has a fair point. But she still doesn't _fully _agree.

"All the same," Astrid says, "you can't pine for the guy forever, you know."

* * *

><p>"Hey! I was looking for you!"<p>

Merida slams her hand onto her forehead as a familiar, white-haired boy appears out of one of the secret passages along the corridor she and Astrid are using, on their way back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Frost," she almost growls.

He just beams at her, brightly. "Aw, don't be like that!" He catches sight of Astrid, then, and nods at her, distractedly, before turning back to Merida. "So, I was wondering if – "

"No," she says, shortly, slipping her way past him.

"You didn't even hear what I have to say!" Jack says, leaping so that he's in front of her again, his blue eyes looking into her own. "Merida – "

"Look, Frost, I'm really tired," she says. "It wasn't the best Quidditch practice, and I just really want to rest."

His face falls, but he shrugs. "Okay, then," he says. "I saw Bunnymund working you all like crazy out there."

"The boy's got a competitive streak," Astrid says.

Jack nods his head fervently, and his eyes fall on Merida again, who is determinedly looking away from him. "So – I'll see you some other time?"

"Hopefully not," says Merida, as she turns her back on him and continues down the corridor.

"You know you don't mean it!" Jack calls out, after her. "I'm still going to be waiting for you to say yes! I'm not leaving until you do!"

Merida can't help it. A small smile crosses her face.

* * *

><p>The next day, Merida's owl drops a note in front of her. It's not in her father's messy scrawl, or her mother's neat, loopy handwriting, so she's cautious as she accepts the note and peels it open.<p>

_Merida!_

_Since you won't listen to me, I thought I'd write a letter instead. You know, something to treasure and all that. _

_Will you go out with me this Hogsmeade weekend?_

_Jack. _

Merida looks up at the Slytherin table, where Jack is grinning at her brightly, waiting for her reaction.

She rolls her eyes, and shakes her head, and slides the note into her bag.

But Jack doesn't miss the small grin on her face.

* * *

><p>Merida's in the Gryffindor common room with Astrid and Kristoff, sprawled in the armchairs before the fire.<p>

"Hey, Red."

Aster drops down onto the seat next to her, and Merida suddenly feels her heart racing again.

"Yeah?" she asks, trying to get her heartbeat to slow down.

_Stupid girl_, she chides herself. _Stupid, stupid girl. He's just a boy. Just another boy. Nothing special. Nothing special about him at all. _

"I wanted to talk Quidditch with you, mate," he says. "You know, we've got that game against Hufflepuff coming up?"

Merida's face falls, but she instantly fixes her expression and grins. As long as Aster wants to come and talk to her, she can't complain, right? Not even if it's about Quidditch. _Especially _if it's about Quidditch. She knows the game like the back of her hand.

"Sure," she says.

"Okay, here's what I was thinking – "

When Astrid looks over next, she sees Merida's mane of wild red hair close to Aster's head as they discuss strategies and whatnot.

"He still hasn't figured it out yet, has he?" Kristoff asks her. (Astrid doesn't bother to ask him how he knows. It's not that hard to guess Merida's feeling, no matter how much she tries to hide them.)

"Nope," says Astrid.

* * *

><p>The next day, Merida hasn't even walked through the doors to her first class when a whole bouquet of roses are held up to her face.<p>

She peers over the roses to see Jack Frost, holding them up and looking slightly sheepish.

"No, Frost," she sighs.

Jack's face falls, visibly. "Really?"

"Really."

He pauses, and tilts his head and looks at her. "Why won't you say yes?"

Merida raises an eyebrow at him, at this cheeky white-haired Slytherin boy who has the audacity to stop her outside her Transfiguration classroom. "Why do you keep insisting on going out with me?"

Jack shrugs. "I think you're amazing."

_I think you're amazing_.

Merida _knows_ her face is turning red, blush seeping up and across her cheeks as she absorbs his words. Nobody's said anything like that to her before. _Nobody_. Merida is loud, and brash, and careless and rude and confident.

Nobody's ever told her that they think she's amazing.

"If you won't say yes," Jack tells her, "at least keep the flowers." He grins. "You know I'll be back with some other way to woo you, anyway."

"You can keep trying," says Merida. "My answer will still be no."

But she takes the flowers.

"I'll wear you down eventually," says Jack. "I don't give up so easily."

Merida walks into Transfiguration with a bouquet of roses in her hand and a small smile on her face.

* * *

><p>It's dinner time when Merida walks into the Great Hall with Astrid and Rapunzel, and when she sees Aster Bunnymund with his arm around Elsa Arendelle, who is laughing at something he is saying, Aster grinning and smiling like he's just discovered the most wonderful thing on earth.<p>

For Merida, it feels like everything is breaking apart around her.

Merida thinks she can feel something clench inside her chest, before it lets go and something is shattering around her, falling and crashing and toppling to the ground, breaking into millions of pieces and it hurts, it hurts so badly –

She clenches her hands, shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath.

"Meri," Rapunzel murmurs, and they steer her to the opposite end of the Gryffindor table, away from Aster and his head leaning close to Elsa's and the smile he is giving her. "Meri, it's okay."

Astrid doesn't say anything, just places a hand on her friend's shoulder comfortingly.

Merida feels weak. She feels stupid, and weak, and just so _angry _at herself for feeling this way. Because her heart hurts, so badly. It hurts and it aches and it stings and it feels like it's hardly even there anymore, just millions of tiny pieces that have fallen apart.

And Aster – Aster _doesn't know_. He is just a stupid boy, and it is _so wrong _that he should affect her so badly and so much, but he _is, _and she feels so weak and stupid because her stupid emotions are running wild and _she doesn't know what to do _and she shouldn't even feel this way, not when Aster doesn't even see her as anything more than his fellow Quidditch team member, than the wild Scottish fifth-year who makes a great Beater –

Her heart hurts.

She doesn't want to stay here anymore. She doesn't think she'll be _able _to stay here anymore.

She's about to rise to her feet, mutter an excuse and stumble back to the common room and _away from stupid Aster and his stupid smile and that annoying Little Miss Perfect Elsa _–

But then there's someone standing in front of her, holding a huge bowl of chocolate pudding in his hands and blocking her way.

It's Jack Frost.

"You look like you need comfort food," he tells her. He sets it on the table, and, ignoring every single conventional rule, the rules that practically make up Hogwarts, the Slytherin boy slides into a seat and plants himself firmly at the Gryffindor table. "Bad day?"

"Something like that," Merida somehow manages to say, and her gaze flickers towards the chocolate pudding apprehensively.

Jack notices her gaze, and he says, "Don't worry, it's not poisonous. It won't kill you. I got the house elves to help me with it." Then he scratches the back of his head, and admits, "It was actually part of my plan to get you to say yes to go out on just one date with me, you know, but you look like you really need something to brighten up your day right now."

The ache in Merida's chest lessens slightly. She's touched, touched by this annoying blue-eyed Slytherin and his words, by his persistence and his specially going out of his way for her. It makes her feel as if the tiny million shattered pieces of her heart might just slowly be gluing itself back together.

"I'm guessing this isn't the best time to ask you if you wanna go out with me?"

He grins at her, an awkward, half-embarrassed grin.

"Never stopped you before," Merida manages a smile.

"Good point," Jack says, cheerfully. "So will you go out with me? We can do whatever you want to do, the Shrieking Shack, the Hog's Head, the Three Broomsticks, whatever – "

Jack's rambling a bit, now, but Merida raises her head and she catches sight of Aster, his arm still around Elsa, smiling at her, murmuring something to her.

Something snaps in her.

She turns to look at Jack.

He's looking at her, hopefully.

"So," he says. "Will you go out with me this Hogsmeade weekend?"

Merida looks at him.

"Yes," she says.


	2. Hogsmeade with Jack Frost

Spending the day with Jack Frost isn't actually that bad.

Merida has rejected every article of clothing that Rapunzel has thrown at her, telling the Hufflepuff that if Jack really wants to spend time with her that badly, she can wear her normal clothes and do what she likes.

Astrid gave her an approving punch on the arm for that.

So she's dressed in her usual jeans and a shirt, and she's walking next to Jack Frost as they tumble out of Honeydukes, trying to control their laughter and clutching at bags of candy. A couple of students give them strange looks, but Merida hardly notices them because she's too busy trying to make sure she's not collapsing onto the ground from laughing.

They've gotten strange looks all day, Jack knows, from plenty of students around Hogsmeade and even some of the people who work in the shops here. No one expects a Slytherin and a Gryffindor to be out on a date together.

But whatever. He can't care less.

He is _here, _strolling through Hogsmeade and collapsing with laughter with _Merida Dunbroch_, of all people, and he can't be happier. She's always been a wild card, he knows, strong and reckless and brave and pure crazy, and really all the qualities of a Gryffindor. But there is just _something _about her crudeness and her bright outlook on life and her ferocity and her emphasis on her own independence that just makes her magnetic, a bright flame he can't draw his eyes away from.

And she's here. With him.

"The owner's never going to let you in again," Merida snorts, through her chortling laughter.

"You'd be surprised," Jack tells her, but his words are hard to make out through his laughter: "I'll be back the next Hogsmeade visit and they'll welcome me with open arms."

"Someone's sure of his persuasive skills," says Merida.

"It's my natural charm, you see."

She laughs again.

They shove at each other's shoulders as they continue their way down the street. They've already been to the Shrieking Shack, and to Zonko's (where they both got chased out), so Jack suggests the Three Broomsticks and Merida agrees. He tells her he'll pay for the Butterbeer and when she protests, he gives her no room to argue, telling her she can buy it the next time round.

"You sure there's gonna be a next time round, Frost?" she asks him, raising an eyebrow.

He grins at her: "Of course. Admit it, you like going out with me, don't you?"

She rolls her eyes and tells him she's not admitting anything, but she grabs a table while he goes to get the drinks, and he can see the slightest smile on her face.

She finds a table in the corner, and slips into the seat, and she smiles vaguely at the crowd of students milling about her, the noisy chatter and the loud laughter.

Maybe Jack Frost isn't so bad after all.

* * *

><p>When Aster steps in through the door to the Three Broomsticks, he's not sure what he expects to see, exactly. He expects, of course, to see Mdm Rosmerta behind the bar, and Hogwarts students filling up the tables, and he expects to hear the loud laughter and conversations floating across the air.<p>

What he's not expecting to see is a familiar redheaded Gryffindor girl sitting with a white-haired Slytherin boy, and he's certainly not expecting to hear them laugh loudly and talk endlessly as they gulp down mouthfuls of Butterbeer.

He stands, frozen, as the door swings shut behind him.

"Aster?" Elsa prompts, from next to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He has to drag his eyes away, away from the laughing redheaded girl and the grinning pale boy. He looks down at Elsa, and tries for a smile. "Yeah. I'm great."

He wonders why it is that it feels like a blow to the stomach when he sees them, when he sees Jack lean his head close to Merida and says something that makes her throw her head back and let out a loud laugh. He wonders why it feels like there's something clenched in his chest when he sees Jack Frost lean in even closer to Merida, so close that if he leaned forward just a little more he could kiss her, and something flares up in him, hot and glaring and angry.

"Aster?" Elsa repeats, and he can hear the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Your pick of the seats, my lady," he says, gallantly, trying not to look over at where Jack and Merida now sit, and he sweeps an arm across the Three Broomsticks.

It works. She giggles at that. "Well, thank you, good sir," she says, as her eyes follow the movement of his arm, and then she blinks and stops short: "Is that Jack Frost and Merida Dunbroch?"

He looks over again, unwillingly. "Yes," he says, through gritted teeth, as he sees Jack Frost put a hand up and twist a strand of red curls around his long white fingers, as he sees Merida just roll her eyes and flick at his hand, but doesn't push it away.

"I didn't know she finally said yes," Elsa says, mildly, as she leads them to a table in a corner.

Aster blinks, suddenly interested: "What d'you mean?"

"You didn't know?" Elsa asks, as she slides into the corner booth and drags Aster in next to her, so his arm's around her waist, so that they're holed up in the corner. "He must've been going after her for _weeks_, to go out with him. I thought the whole school knew. She turns him down every time. I guess she finally realised that she's not too high and mighty to go out with him."

"Red's not high and mighty," says Aster, immediately, frowning.

Elsa raises one elegant eyebrow. "I forgot," she says. "You play Quidditch with her."

"Yeah," he says, defensively. "And she's a great person."

Elsa shrugs. "Whatever, I'm not really interested in talking about Merida Dunbroch of all people, you know." She glances over at the counter, where Mdm Rosmerta has fixed them and their empty table with a hard look: "You want to get some Butterbeer? Think she might chase us out."

"Sure," Aster mutters, and he stumbles out of the booth. He sees Merida glance up, just briefly, as he passes her table on his way to the counter – and then he sees Jack grab her attention again, and hears her let out another laugh as she turns back to him.

He grits his teeth.

* * *

><p>Merida hasn't realised just how <em>happy <em>she is with Jack around. He's funny, and he's quick, and he's charming and easy enough to be with.

He makes her so happy, she hardly even notices when Aster passes by her table, his eyes fixed determinedly in front of him.

She blinks for a second, because something thumps in her heart and her hand tightens around the neck of the Butterbeer bottle – but then Jack asks her something about Snape and tells her about the one time Snotlout nearly got his head stuck in the toilet bowl, and she can't help but burst into laughter and the thought of Aster is pushed to the back of her mind.

* * *

><p>When Merida comes spinning into the Gryffindor common room, hours later, Astrid is sitting in front of the fire, in one of the best armchairs, her fingers together and a knowing look on her face.<p>

"So?" she wants to know, and Merida knows this is a clear sign of their friendship; Astrid's hardly one to care about dates most of the time. "How was it?"

It's the first time they've had a chance to talk since Merida came back with Jack, because he's insisted on having dinner at the Gryffindor table with her. She protests at first, telling him it's probably against the rules, but he goes over to Hiccup who's probably read every book in the library, and who assures him that there is no such rule banning someone from sitting at another House's table for a meal.

So he sits with her, and it causes a lot of whispers and nudging, the fact that the charming white-haired Slytherin is at the Gryffindor table with the loud and brash Merida Dunbroch. But for some reason, she doesn't mind, because he makes her smile and laugh and she honestly cannot remember the last time she felt so happy.

"He's great," she sighs, sinking into the chair opposite Astrid, and she doesn't see Aster enter with Elsa, doesn't see Aster kiss Elsa before the girl moves up the stairs. "I mean, I don't usually get this way, but it was a really good day."

"It looked like it was," Astrid grins at her, and Merida can't help but beam back.

Astrid doesn't miss the glare that Aster sends Merida's way, and the way he storms up the stairs, with just the shortest glance back at the Scottish redhead who is now smiling into the flickering, red-gold fire.


	3. broom closets and slytherin ties

"Merida," Lightning says, slowly, as the redheaded Scottish girl stumbles into the Gryffindor common room: "Why are you wearing a Slytherin tie?"

"I – _oh_."

Merida glances down at her robes, the crumpled blouse, the tie hanging loosely around her neck, not in the bold colours of red and gold, but in the intensely-disliked colours of silver and green, and her face flushes.

Astrid takes in the crumpled, hastily-buttoned blouse, the way Merida is yanking at her skirt, and she smirks: "Were you in a broom closer with who I think you were?"

If possible, Merida flushes even more. "Maybe," she says, faintly, sounding slightly mortified. Stupid Jack Frost, she thinks, and his stupid smile and the way he makes everything feel so good and perfect, and the way he makes her feel like it's just the two of them and the world's revolving around them alone and nothing else matter.

And stupid Argus Filch and Mrs Norris. It's not like they were making _that _much noise.

Well. She hopes they weren't.

"Merida, you naughty, naughty girl," Astrid says, and there's a wide grin on her face, twisting into a smirk: "You didn't tell me _anything_!"

"It's not like I have to update you on everything that goes on in my love life," Merida argues, as she shoves Lightning out of his armchair (ignoring his indignant protests of "I was here first!") and she sits down, dragging the tie off. Almost unconsciously, she runs her hands along the silky tie.

"So you _do_ have a love life with Jack Frost," Astrid says, gleefully. "Arse. I wanted to do the History of Magic essay with you. You _could _have told me you were making out and getting all hot with Jackson Frost in a broom closet somewhere."

Merida just grins at her. "You make it sound so crude, Hofferson."

It's been a few months since the day she went out with Jack Frost to Hogsmeade, and as far as she knows, it's probably been the best few months of her life since she came to Hogwarts. She can't ever remember being this happy before.

He makes her laugh, he makes her smile, he makes her feel like she can be herself, and damn what people say about the two of them spending so much time together. He sits with her at the Gryffindor table some days, and once in a while she'll go over to the Slytherin side (though he doesn't really like that because Snotlout or McIntosh are always ready to make a move on her). Sure, they fight a lot – hell, they argue at least twice a week, from exactly how tall Professor Flitwick is to whether anyone actually bothered having a funeral for Professor Binns to just how many house-elves there are working in Hogwarts to what's the best way to make a Shrinking Solution. But every time they fight and every time they make up, it's like they're even more tangled up in each other than they already are.

Merida wouldn't have it any other way.

"You're making out in broom closets with Jack Frost?" a hard, rough voice snaps, and this time it's a poor second-year kid who's dumped out of his armchair as Aster slides into it. His eyes are dark green and hard as he glares at Merida.

For a moment, Merida thinks she might blush, she thinks that her heart rate will start increasing rapidly and she thinks she's going to clench up her hands.

But she doesn't. She's just sitting there, looking back across at him, and it's not butterflies she feels fluttering around inside her – it's rage, rising up, hot and angry and furious.

"What's it to _you_, Bunny?" she asks, coolly.

"He's a bloody snake!" Aster says, his eyes flashing. "For God's sake, Dunbroch, he could be using you for all you know!"

"Using me?" Merida can't help it – her voice gets louder, higher, and her eyes are narrowed in disbelief, and in anger. She rises from her chair, takes a step closer to Aster, who's still sitting down, glaring at her. "Using me for _what_, exactly? The password to the Gryffindor common room so he can sneak in and pull pranks on you? The answers to McGonagall's Transfiguration exam? The strategies for our next Quidditch game?"

She leans forward so that her hands are on either side of the armchair he's sitting on, her eyes burning fire, her hair falling in a tangled mess of curls around her face.

"Yes," Aster says, stubbornly, firmly. "That little blighter's the Slytherin sneaker – "

"And _that _little blighter, as you call him, has not _once _asked me for anything to do with our fucking Quidditch strategies! Fuck, if he wants to find out our Quidditch strategies, he could go out with Astrid, he could go out with Anna, he could go out with any other girl in the team, he didn't have to spend weeks trying to ask me out and bringing me flowers!"

She takes a deep breath, shuts her eyes, and then snaps them open again as Aster still continues to glare up at her stubbornly.

"Yeah, well, maybe he's using you for another reason, something to do with the fact that you're one of the best-looking girls in this whole place _and_ a Gryffindor!"

The entire common room, who's been able to hear Merida's loud rant, sit in silence, frozen in their tasks, as Aster Bunnymund still glares at her, the words still lingering in the air between them.

Merida stares at him for one single, shell-shocked moment.

Then there's the sound of a resounding _slap _echoing across the red-and-gold room, and the next thing Aster knows, he's seeing Merida march up the stairs to the girls' dorms and his face is stinging.

"Well," Astrid says, into the silence that is now stretching across the common room, "you're a real bastard, you know that, Bunnymund?"

It's as if the spell is broken. Chatter rises up again, among the students at the tables doing work, among the small groups of Gryffindors in their own conversations – but Aster knows that everyone will be muttering about what's just happened, about the Gryffindor captain and the best Beater the Gryffindor team's seen in year, about his harsh accusations and her furious rage, and about his stupid, thickheaded comment.

He raises his head to see Astrid staring at him, her face hard, and Lightning and Buzz and Jessie and the burly seventh-year Doc Hudson glaring at him.

"You," Hudson says, his words short, his tone harsh, "have a lot to make up for to that girl, punk."

"I can't believe you!" Jessie spits at him.

"Thought you were better than that," Buzz adds.

Lightning doesn't say anything, just shakes his head as he sinks back into his seat and the other three Gryffindors storm off.

"It's the truth," Aster says, bitterly, to Astrid, who for some reason is still sitting with him, and isn't going up to comfort Merida; but then, Astrid's never been good at comforting people, he remembers. Instead, it's Nani who goes up, shooting one last glare at him before heading up the stairs. "It's the truth, Astrid."

"No," Astrid says, sharply. "It's not. Are you the only blind one around here, Bunnymund? She's never been so happy before. Jack may be a Slytherin, and he may be an irresponsible prankster, but he's good for her and he makes her happy. Do you hear that? He doesn't just make her smile or laugh – he makes her _happy_."

"He's a Slytherin," Aster says.

"So what?" Astrid demands. "He cares for her. You think I'd let anything happen to her?"

Aster falls silent at that. Astrid's right, in her own way; Merida is her best friend, apart from Hiccup, and the blond would _never _let anything happen to the Scottish girl, the same way Merida would never let anything happen to Astrid.

"You're despicable, did you know that?" Astrid says. "You wait until she's all happy with a boyfriend, and then you suddenly realise your feelings for her and flare up over that?"

"Wait – _what_?" Aster's head jerks up, and he stares at her in shock: "I don't – I don't care for her that way! She's my friend, mate!"

"Don't call me mate," Astrid snaps, just as Lightning says: "Pull the other one! You think no one noticed how quickly you and Elsa didn't work out, just a week after she went out with Jack Frost?"

"Elsa and I didn't work out because of entirely personal reasons – "

"Shut it, Bunnymund," says Astrid. "We're not complete idiots. You and Elsa did _not _break up after barely a week because of entirely personal reasons. And you've only gotten angrier and more easily frustrated ever since she and Jack officially got together."

"I _do not _– "

"Save it," Astrid says, smoothly, finally rising from her seat. "If you ever want to get back into her good books again, if you ever want to make things right, you'd better apologise."

"I am _not _apologising! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You're an even bigger idiot than I thought you were, then," says Astrid, coldly. "Goodnight, Lightning."

She sweeps past the both of them and climbs up the stairs, not even glancing back once.

"Seriously, dude," Lightning tells Aster, who is now slumped in his armchair, staring at the stairs that lead to the girls' dorms: "Pull yourself together."

* * *

><p>It's late that night when Aster sees Merida slip down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.<p>

He's not left the armchair, and the fire is low, and she doesn't even glance over to check if anyone's around – it's clear she's thought this is far too late for anyone to still be up. He hasn't been able to bring himself to leave the chair, not with Astrid's scathing tone still in his mind; and not with Merida's angry, furious face, her words ringing around the inside of his skull.

He's not sure what to think.

But when he sees Merida slip out of the common room, quietly, he can't help but follow.

"Really, dear," the Fat Lady says disapprovingly, when he pushes open the portrait: "I didn't know you had a girlfriend from another House."

"Which way did she go?" Aster asks, ignoring the implied question in her statement.

"Merida? Down there, but why – "

He doesn't answer. He takes off down the corridor, silently.

It's not that hard to follow her, and he's careful to avoid the teachers and the ghosts – except for Nick, who just sighs and shakes his head but nods to keep his silence. Her hair's a blaze of red as she creeps quietly down the corridors, finally lifting up a tapestry and sliding into one of the shortcut routes Aster's all too familiar with.

He's not that stupid to follow her through there, of course. He takes another couple of turns and twists through a few more corridors before he emerges on the other side of the shortcut route, a corridor lit with torches on either side.

When he peers around the corner, his heart clenches.

She's with Jack Frost.

But of course she is.

They're curled up on the ground, Jack's long legs extended before him as Merida curls up next to him, rests her head on his shoulder.

"He's a dick," Aster hears Jack saying, his voice hard. "He's a complete and utter dick, Meri."

Aster notices, with a jolt, that Jack has his arm around Merida's waist, almost protectively.

"I know," Merida says. "It's just that Aster's been my friend for years, and when he just said all that stuff – "

Something drops in his stomach. It feels like a small, heavy stone, cold and hard. She's talking about _him_. She's looking so upset, so fragile, she's leaning in and drawing closer to Jack Frost because of _him_.

He's made her look this sad, and for some reason, the thought of that hurts even more than the way she's curled up against Frost.

"You know it's not true, right?" Jack asks her. "You know it's not. I mean, I don't – I don't want – look, I care for you, Merida. I mean, I guess I understand why he's so pissed off as captain, but what he said – "

There's a soft look in Jack's eyes as he turns to Merida, and it feels like Aster is being punched in the stomach.

"It hurts," Merida says, softly, and Aster thinks he's never heard her so sad before. "It fucking hurts, Jack."

"I'm here," he hears Jack say, into her hair; and then the Slytherin's hugging her, pulling her close to him. "I'm not playing with you, I promise. I care for you. I do. I'm not leaving you alone. You're probably the best thing that's happened to me in this place."

There's a sort of strangled laugh coming from Merida. "Would it inflate your ego if I said the same about you?"

"Probably," Jack tells her, in all seriousness; but then he smiles at her, and Aster sees her smile back at him.

And then Aster has to turn away and hurry down the corridor because _it's getting too hard to breathe_.

* * *

><p><strong>any comments? comments would be good. and nice. and wonderful. and lovely. <strong>


	4. quidditch and bludgers

**hey! first of all, thank you for the reviews and EVERYTHING, you know? and like, to The Fallen Parachute and inflamarae especially, thank you so much for your reviews. it really meant a lot. yeah. and really made my day. (: **

**and thank you also to frostystuffs, and Jellyornahh and therealprotoype for your reviews! yep. **

**firstly, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**and secondly, please note that this is NOT the end! (well, unless you are fully against asterida and only want to see jarida. no offence, to therealprototype, i know you wanted jarida. you can pretend this is the last chapter if you want.)**

**on a sidenote: unfortunately, i've lost the document for chapter three, and i can't edit it anymore. sooo, if anyone reads this - in the previous chapter, aster should be saying 'slytherin seeker'! not 'slytherin sneaker'. yepp. thanks.**

* * *

><p>"Merida."<p>

Merida stiffens when she hears the familiar voice behind her, stopping her in her tracks as she's about to walk out of the castle and head down to the Quidditch pitch.

Then she shakes her head and continues her way down the path, because she is _not _going to talk to that son of a bitch, not after what he's said –

"Merida!"

Aster darts in front of her, stopping her in her path, and determinedly Merida looks away and crosses her arms.

"What?" she spits out, refusing to look at him. _Damn Astrid _for going off to see Hiccup and leaving her way to make down to training on her own. She does not want to deal with Aster-fucking-Bunnymund, not now, and not ever, if she can possibly help it.

Unfortunately, it's not really up to her.

"Look," Aster says, "look, I'm no good at this apologising stuff, mate, but I want to tell you that I really am sorry."

When she doesn't respond, he swallows nervously and ploughs on. She's not kneeing him in the groin or walking away just yet, so that's got to count for something, right?

"It was stupid of me," he says. "It was stupid, and a completely unforgivable mistake on my part. I mean, I shouldn't have said it. I never should've said it. And I'm sorry, I really really am. I mean, I'm biased against them, you know I am, and I just got so _mad_ that I – that I – "

He lets out a yelp then, because Merida punches him in the arm, hard.

"You really mean it?" she asks, suspiciously.

Aster nods fervently. "Look, I mean, I get that you're furious and never want to speak to me again, and I totally deserve that, mate, but I really _am _sorry. I mean, you know that match's coming up that'll determine whether we'll end up playing Slytherin for the Cup, and I guess I just kind of let everything get the better of me – "

"You're a fucking idiot, Bunnymund," says Merida.

"I know. I know. But if you won't forgive me, at least work with me here?" he pleads. "I mean, yes, what I said was totally unforgivable. And I totally deserve to be hung out to dry. Or something. But there's still the team and the match to think of. And I _am _sorry. I really am."

He's not hoping for forgiveness from her. Merida's temper is legendary, and his apology has definitely not come out the way he's wanted it to. Okay, maybe it's not that he's not hoping for forgiveness – he is, of course he is. He's just not expecting it. All he needs is for her to stop glaring at him and looking so sad and avoiding him because _it fucking hurts_. It hurts because it's him who hurt her and _he needs to make it right_.

But then she punches him again.

"You're an arsehole, Bunnymund," she says. "But you're okay."

He blinks at her in disbelief: "Huh?"

"Come on, Kangaroo," she says, as she sweeps past him and continues her way down to the pitch: "We've got a game to prepare for. You're not going to get anything done if you just stand there."

Aster looks after her for one long moment.

And then he breaks into a grin and hurries after her.

* * *

><p>Jack collars her the morning of her Quidditch match, just before she walks out with the rest of the team. He spots Aster giving them a swift glance, and his face nearly hardens into a scowl, but Aster just nods at Merida before continuing on his way.<p>

He reminds himself that Merida's forgiven Aster for his stupid words, as he pulls her into a corridor off the side.

Whatever. Jack's still mad at that arsehole.

"Good luck for the game, Red," he tells her, wishing her hair hasn't been painstakingly dragged into a braid so that he can run his hands through it. But sadly, it is, and she'll never forgive him if he messes up her hair, not when she's probably taken hours to get it into some sort of manageable shape for the match.

"You do know that if we win, we'll be playing against you for the Cup, right?" Merida asks him, her eyes laughing.

He grins. "Well, it'll be our first time playing against each other since we got together. I think it'll be fun."

"You're an idiot, Frost."

"And you love me for it," he says, and he pulls her into a kiss before she can walk away. Finally he steps back, and grins at her flushed face. "You've got this all under control, Red."

"Of course I have," she scoffs. "I'm the best Beater this place has seen in years!"

Jack rolls his eyes. "And there goes that confidence I was missing."

He kisses her one last time, before she slips out of the corridor he's dragged her into, and he watches as she hurries her way down to the pitch.

* * *

><p>They win, of course.<p>

It's a hard game, a tough match, but they pull through in the end, Lightning McQueen grabbing the Snitch with Gryffindor at a hundred and sixty points to Ravenclaw's hundred and forty. The stands go wild, and the whole Gryffindor team are surrounded by hoarse cheers and yells; Aster Bunnymund the Captain and the Keeper, the three Chasers Anna Arendelle and Doc Hudson and Jim Hawkins, the two Beaters Merida Dunbroch and Astrid Hofferson and finally Lightning McQueen, still clutching the Snitch triumphantly from where he's caught it just hovering behind the Ravenclaw Seeker GoGo Tomago's head.

They're ecstatic, and Astrid even flies into the commentator's box to kiss Hiccup, much to McGonagall's chagrin.

Lightning gets swarmed by the entire team, and Aster's hugging just about everyone he can reach.

And when it's Merida, standing just across from him with Astrid next to her, he hesitates, just for a moment.

But she launches herself at him, laughing, and she hugs him tightly and she's screaming into his ear excitedly and he lets himself hug her back and he doesn't think he ever wants to forget this moment.

* * *

><p>It's a few weeks later when Gryffindor and Slytherin finally face each other off on the Quidditch pitch; and when they kick off from the ground, it's difficult <em>not <em>to make out Hiccup's amused tone as he commentates the match.

"And here we have, for the very first time since they got together, Jack Frost and Merida Dunbroch playing against each other! Of course, Frost, annoying little jackass that he is, is Seeker and can't do anything to Merida unless he decides to make her skirts fly up, but Dunbroch _is _one of the best Beaters that Hogwarts has ever seen in years and hopefully her relationship with Frost doesn't stop her from slamming a Bludger into his face – "

"Haddock!"

"Right, Professor. Oh and look, it's Hudson with the Quaffle – Arendelle – Hawkins – back to Hudson again – GRYFFINDOR SCORES! Well, that was fast – "

"What's up with your Keeper today, Frost?" Merida yells at Jack, who's floating lazily just above her.

"Who, Fitzherbert?" he says, grinning. "Probably trying to look for Rapunzel in the crowd."

"And it's Arendelle – Hawkins – Hudson – Arendelle – and the Slytherin Chaser Snotlout comes in and gets it, oh man – he's heading fast – and – HA! THAT'S MY GIRL WHO JUST SENT A BLUDGER YOUR WAY! SLYTHERIN LOSES POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE! BEAT THAT!"

"_Haddock_!"

"Sorry, Professor."

It's an intense match, the kind that Merida hardly sees. The Slytherin Chasers are ruthless, and Hudson and Anna and Jim are practically doing acrobatics in the air as they weave their way through them and the Bludgers sent by Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and she can hear Hiccup's commentary keeping her updated on the match and the score.

"You ready to up this game, Dunbroch?" Astrid yells over, a glint in her eyes, swinging her bat.

"Like you need to ask, Hofferson!"

And they're off, darting in and out, slamming Bludgers into Snotlout and McIntosh and Helga Sinclair, not even giving Ruffnut and Tuffnut a chance to swoop in. They're a blur of red and blond, weaving themselves around players expertly, slamming into Bludgers with so much force and such accurate aim that Sinclair's nearly unseated from her broom.

Even from his position high up above, looking out for the Snitch, Jack can't help but smile.

"I think the Slytherin Seeker has caught sight of the Snitch – look at him go – McQueen's too far away – NO! IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS! – Frost is speeding up – he's nearly got it – OW! ONE BLUDGER SENT HIS WAY BY HIS VERY OWN GIRLFRIEND!"

"Are you okay?" Merida pulls up to a stop next to Jack, who's reeling back from the force of the Bludger sent his way.

"Just peachy," he groans, and he rubs at his ribs and he looks up to catch sight of her worried blue eyes looking at him, and he manages a grin: "I never want to get whacked by a Bludger from you again."

He blows her a kiss, and Merida can't help but laugh.

* * *

><p>It's one and a half hours, one and a half hours of some of the dirtiest playing Hogwarts has ever seen.<p>

"GRYFFINDOR SCORE! Would you look at that now, folks, it's two hundred and ten on both sides, this has got to be ridiculous – Sinclair's got the Quaffle, now look at that girl, first girl Captain of the Slytherin team in decades, probably – passed to McIntosh – to Snotlout – McIntosh again – and is that – OW! Some nice work there by Gryffindor Beater Merida Dunbroch – Merlin's pants, is that the Snitch?"

There's a blur, a streak of red and blond and a streak of green and white, racing each other up and up and up into the air –

"What is McQueen _doing _– Jack Frost is right behind him – do you see that, guys, I don't think he's going to – GRYFFINDOR'S GOT THE SNITCH! YES DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY TO TWO HUNDRED AND TEN, OH MY GODS THIS IS AMAZING! GRYFFINDOR'S WON THE CUP!"

It's utter bedlam, utter uproar – all around the pitch, loud cheers and yells are breaking out as people scream, as they throw their arms around each other –

And down below her in the air, Merida can see Aster tackling McQueen, the whole team tackling McQueen, really, and there's a funny feeling in her chest and she thinks she might just be bursting with happiness.

"HEY, RED!"

It's Jack, zooming towards her on his broom, and for a moment Merida worries because Gryffindor's won, she's won, she sent a Bludger his way before he could get the Snitch earlier and Slytherin has lost and Helga Sinclair is screeching furiously from the ground for _Jack Frost to get down there _–

But then he skids to a halt in front of her, grabs her by the front of her Quidditch robes, and he kisses her, right there in front of the entire school, a figure in green and a figure in red floating in the air in the middle of the Quidditch pitch.

When they finally break apart, she looks at him with wide blue eyes, breathing heavily. "You're not _mad_?"

"Mad?" Jack repeats, like it's the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard of. "Your team totally bested us this time, Red. Hell, it's the freaking Cup! Do you have any idea how happy I am for you?"

She blinks at him, and the happy feeling is swelling up inside of her again, growing and growing, but she makes herself say: "But you guys lost the Cup! And I sent a Bludger your way!"

Jack waves a hand dismissively. "There's always next year. Plus, I totally expect to get full compensation from you for that Bludger." He grins at her: "This year's _your _year, Red."

Merida thinks she can't have ever felt this happy before.

She yanks him by his green robes and pulls him down to her, and kisses him, hard.

"Now would you look at that! It seems like the Slytherin Seeker and the Gryffindor Beater are having a very hard make-out session right up there in the sky! Well, of course, they're both a little mad, of course, but I think that's some pretty good sportsmanship, don't you think? Of course, it might be going a little _too _far, but it's not a bad start – "

"Hiccup's an idiot," Merida says, softly, when they break apart, and she's vaguely aware of the entire stadium looking towards them, but she really can't care less.

"He is," Jack agrees, and he vaults over onto her broom and pulls her closer and he's kissing her again, and this time the whole stadium erupts into deafening cheers.

Down on the ground, Aster gives a wry smile and kicks at the turf even as he passes the Cup to Lightning.

And up in the air, all that matters to Jack Frost and Merida Dunbroch is then and there and nothing else is actually really important.

* * *

><p><strong>um, any comments? because they would be fantastic. yep. just saying. just asking. uh huh. <strong>


	5. weddings

**okay. so i lied. **

**well, to be fair, i WAS planning on keeping it asterida. but, you know, i am a sucker for pleas to make it jarida. i mean, if you _demand _jarida, i will probably keep it asterida because i'm like that. but, i don't know, i just read some reviews, and i went on tumblr (i don't have a tumblr, i just scroll through from time to time), and i was on the jaridafamily thing (and thank you TenebrisSagittarius), and someone mentioned this fic there (okay I'm hoping it was this fic), and I don't know I just kinda felt aww and I really do love jarida, it's just that asterida always needs some love too, but jarida...well, he was the first person i ever shipped merida with, even before i watched brave. yep. **

**so. okay. jarida. **

**nearly lost this chapter. but i _didn't! _yay me.**

**(this whole chapter feels kind of awkward, though. i mean. yeah. really awkward.)**

**hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Merida is many things, but she is definitely <em>not <em>a morning person.

She groans at the sound of the stupid house phone ringing shrilly, pounding in her ears. _God. _Why on earth had she ever agreed to a house phone?

Oh, that's right. Because Muggle technology is fascinating and she should learn to embrace it.

All right, she'll grant that it's much more convenient than sending owls all the time. And much cleaner than using the Floo. But it's so _noisy_.

She has to lean over Jack in order to reach the bedside table where the phone's at. He mumbles at the movement, circles her waist with his arm and tries to yank her back down under the covers next to him. She swats him off, even as he keeps his arm around her.

She finally reaches the phone.

"Merida Dunbroch." She speaks shortly. It's eight in the morning, for Merlin's sake.

"_Merida_! You will _never believe what just happened_! Well, it really happened _hours _ago, but it's so exciting and I _had _to call you up and tell you and I thought that eight would be an acceptable timing but oh my goodness – "

"Rapunzel?" she says, groggily. "Is that you?"

"Tell her to go away," Jack whines. "We're busy. _You're _busy."

He tries to tug her down, again, unsuccessfully.

"Is that Jack?" Rapunzel wants to know. "Tell him I say hi!"

"Rapunzel," Merida says, through gritted teeth. "You better have a good reason for calling me so damn early in the morning."

There's a loud giggle on the other side. "Okay, okay, okay. Are you ready?"

"Just _tell _me already!"

Jack is insistently tugging at Merida's wrist, muttering something about getting back into bed. She's very tempted to do so, but she can't really leave Rapunzel on the line like this.

"Eugene _proposed_!"

* * *

><p>"When I'm getting married," Jack mutters, tugging at the collar of his dress robes as he watches the swirl of robes across the ground, music playing through the air and a glass of Firewhisky in his hand, "you guys can wear whatever you want. I'm not putting you through <em>this <em>torture."

Lightning just laughs. "Thinking of proposing to Merida already?"

Jack's eyes drift over to where the redheaded Scottish girl is dancing with Hiccup. If any other guy had asked her to dance, perhaps with the exception of Lightning or Aster or Hudson, Jack would've probably given him a black eye. It's Hiccup, however, and Jack can't really help but smile as he watches Hiccup twirl Merida, as she laughs.

"Like I'm about to tell _you_," Jack says. He's not really sure when he became friends with Lightning, exactly, but he's not regretting a minute of it. Lightning may be competitive and a little proud, but he's really not a bad guy. And he's fun to be around, even if he can get overly protective of Merida sometimes and gets uncomfortable whenever Jack starts making suggestive remarks in front of him. "How are you and GoGo?"

Lightning winces, slightly, takes another swig of Firewhisky. "We had a fight."

There's a pause.

"What did you do to her bike this time?"

"I didn't do _anything_!" Lightning says, indignantly.

"You mean you _didn't _mess up all the new gadgets and spells she put on it to make it go even faster than humanly possible?" a new voice asks, and Aster drops into the seat next to Jack. The older man nods to them both, and leans back in his chair with a grin as Lightning splutters something about how GoGo is much too sensitive about her bike and it wasn't like he _knew _she'd placed those charms on it –

Jack just grins and shakes his head along with Aster.

Unlike Lightning, Jack remembers exactly _how _he became friends with Aster. It'd been that year when he'd _finally _started dating Merida, and she'd won the House Cup after Lightning had beat him to the Snitch. Aster had collared the younger Slytherin teen just before going into the castle to celebrate with the rest of his team.

"What do _you _want?" Jack had asked, angrily, because he could remember, clear as day, the night Merida had come to him crying all because of this Australian jerk.

"I know I'm a jerk," Aster had said, bluntly. "What I said to her – unforgivable. I'm surprised she's actually forgiven me. But I am telling you this _now_. You do anything to hurt her, Frost, and I _will _make sure you can _never _have any children. You hear me, mate?"

They had had a staring competition then, Aster's arms crossed over his bold Gryffindor Quidditch robes, Jack's hands stuck in the pockets of his green Slytherin ones.

"If I ever hurt her," Jack had said, finally, "you have my permission to do whatever the hell you want to me."

Aster's face had softened slightly. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Jack had just shrugged, but there had been a warm feeling inside him when he thought of Merida – the same warm feeling that he still gets, every time he thinks of her. "She's the world to me."

They'd stood there in silence, for a while.

"You're not so bad, kid."

"You're not so bad yourself, Peter Cottontail."

And that, as Jack likes to say, was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Aster doesn't agree. But then again, he hardly ever agrees on anything with Jack Frost.

Jack's not a complete idiot. Sure, it took him a couple of weeks, but he finally realised just _why _Aster's eyes would follow Merida every time she walked along the corridor, every time she'd laugh with Astrid and Rapunzel in the Great Hall, every time she'd take out her broom and streak around the pitch, a blur of red. And he also realised just why Aster's face would tighten every time Jack's arms went around Merida's waist and pulled her close.

But that was years ago. Jack's never said a word about it, and neither has Aster. Their friendship was based on the fact that they both loved Merida, and still do – and nowadays, their friendship's a lot more than just the two of them caring about Merida, and it usually revolves around days racing each other and messing with each other and long nights drinking Firewhisky in the Leaky Cauldron. They get along pretty well, and Jack's grateful for that. Apart from Astrid, Rapunzel, Hiccup and possibly Lightning, Aster is Merida's closest friend.

Although, Jack is extremely grateful that Aster got over Merida by the time the Australian's seventh year rolled around. Jack loves Merida, and he knows that Merida loves him.

But he also knows there was a reason why she said no to him for so many months, and he had a feeling that the reason had been Aster. And after all, the guy's a massive chunk of muscle, really, who was very much in love with the Scottish girl, who had once been very much in love with him.

So, really, Jack was very grateful when Aster started dating Tooth in his seventh year. Even if that hadn't lasted very long.

"He's planning on proposing to Merida," Lightning tells Aster.

Jack chokes on his Firewhisky. "_What_?"

"Well, it's about time," Aster says. "It's been, what, four years since you guys graduated? Although if you ever hurt her – you don't even wanna know what I would do to you, mate."

"I was – that wasn't – what?"

Lightning just laughs, and even Aster grins and rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

* * *

><p>"Do I finally get to dance with my girlfriend this evening?"<p>

It takes all of Jack's willpower _not _to punch Eret in the face as he gives the dark-haired man a tight smile.

"Jack!" Merida more or less immediately backs away from Eret and threads her fingers through Jack's, a _thank you for saving me _look on her face. Jack's seen it often enough before – often when Merida's cornered by some guy and can't risk embarrassing herself or whoever she's here for by beating him up. In this particular case, Jack knows, she'd really rather not send one of Rapunzel's and Eugene's wedding guests home with a broken arm or something.

"It's been a long time, Jack." Eret smiles at him, that smile that always makes Jack feel sick. Bleh. "Been a couple of years."

"And a wonderful couple of years it has been," Jack says as he wraps an arm around Merida's waist.

The smile on Eret's face twists into a smirk. "Oh, very funny."

"Really? I think so too."

"Jack," Merida says. "Dance?"

"Anything for you, my lady."

"Nice to see you being all gallant for once, Frost."

Jack smiles as he pulls her close so that she's facing him, his hand on her waist, and she rests her head on his shoulder. She's dragged her hair into some kind of elegant braid for the wedding, and though it looks nice, he really wishes it were free and exploding around her head like it always is.

"I'm always gallant, Dunbroch," he says. "I'm your knight in shining armour for as long as you need."

* * *

><p>The next wedding they go to is Hiccup and Astrid's.<p>

Jack's not really sure what to think anymore. He's alone, by himself, at a table while the guests are dancing away in the fading light. First it's Rapunzel and Fitzherbert. Now it's Astrid and Hiccup.

He wonders if Merida is expecting anything. After all, it's just been Rapunzel a few months ago, and now it's Astrid, who has been practically inseparable from Merida all their years in Hogwarts. Sure, now both Astrid and Hiccup work with dragons, somewhere in Romania or Hungary, Jack's not really sure, but they've never lost touch.

And now Astrid is married. And Merida is still his girlfriend, and nothing more.

It's not like he hasn't thought about the idea before. Of course he has. He loves Merida, he has for years, and there is no way he'd _ever _give her up. Ever.

But marriage. It's so – it's so _permanent_. It's like saying, it's not enough that I love you, it has to be official and we have to be forever.

Not that Jack has anything against staying with Merida forever. He thinks he'd like that. But – _marriage_.

He's staring gloomily into his Firewhisky when Lightning drops into the seat next to him.

"How are you doing?" he wants to know.

Jack blinks. "Huh?"

"You look upset. Thought it had something to do with Merida dancing over there with Hudson."

"It's _Hudson_," Jack says, automatically, as if it explains everything – and it does, in its own way. It's Hudson. If Jack doesn't trust him with Merida, he can't trust anyone.

"Exactly. So why are you so upset?"

Jack just shrugs. "How are you and GoGo?"

"I'm finally off the couch," Lightning admits.

"Must be a record. You've only been complaining for a week."

"Hey, she missed having me next to her way too much. She'll just never admit it."

"And I'm pretty sure you missed having her around too."

Lightning just grins. "Oh, Jack, the things we did last night – "

"Stop." Jack holds up a hand, pretends to gag. "I _really _don't want to know what goes on in bed with you and Pipsqueak."

Lightning just smirks.

"You." Suddenly Jack feels himself being hauled to his feet, and Aster is glaring down at him from his impressive height. "I need to talk to you. Now."

* * *

><p>"Are you <em>ever <em>planning to propose?"

Jack blinks: "What?"

"To Merida!" Aster throws up his hands. "Look, mate, I'm not gonna lie. I've been her with the past hour while that asshole Snotlout has been trying to chat up _my _girlfriend. And you know what? She wants to know, Frost. If you're ever planning on actually having something serious with her, or if you guys are just gonna be living off in each other's houses all the time."

"We're moving in together next month," Jack says, automatically.

Aster crosses his arms, green eyes glinting. "Not enough, Frost."

Jack sighs, buries his face in his hands. "I don't know, Bunny," the Australian hears him mumble. "I love her. Really. From our daily fights to making up to lazy Sunday mornings and everything in between. But – I don't know. I don't. I love her. I do. But I don't know."

"Don't know _what_?" Aster demands. "Look, mate, this girl is slowly watching all her friends get married. And you? You guys have been together for six, nearly seven years! You've been through the worst together, been through the best. She's like a little sister to me. I don't want you to marry her because you feel bad. I want to know if you even want to marry her. Ever."

There's a silence between them, a silence punctuated with faraway laughs and music drifting.

"Yes," Jack says, quietly.

"What?"

"Yes," he repeats, a bit more loudly. "I want to. I can't imagine life without her. Hell, if I could, I would spend forever with her, and then some. I just – " Suddenly he swallows, and the real fear, the secret thing he's always been most scared about, hits him then. "What if she says _no_? Merida – Merida values her freedom, Bunny, she values her independence above everything else. Marriage means – I mean, you know how she reacted when she found out her mum was even _considering _an arranged marriage. It's just – it's _Merida_. It needs to be perfect, it needs to be done right, and then – and then what if she still wants to be free? What if she wants to keep her freedom and her independence? What do I do then?"

He finally raises his head to look at Aster, who is looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"And here I thought you were a cocky, arrogant idiot," Aster finally says, shaking his head. "Mate, would I be standing here if she would say no?"

Jack stares at him.

"Mate, Red's like a little sister to me. Heck, she _is _my little sister, practically. I won't say she always has been, but she has been for the last five, nearly six years. And I am not letting her waste her life waiting for some albino to grow some balls to ask her to marry him." Aster claps a hand onto Jack's shoulder. "You love her, don't you? And she, as much as I want to gag by saying this, she loves you too." He shudders, which makes Jack chuckle slightly. "Ah, there we go. Man up, Frost. What happened to the guy who spent four months trying to ask her out even though she kept turning him down?"

Jack chuckles again. "Oh, he's still here, Bunny."

"Well, he'd better be. My girl better be wearing an engagement ring the next time I see her. And treat her well. Or I _will _come after you, and then they'll need to find a new Care of Magical Creatures professor."

Aster steps back, nods once, and disappears round the corner and back into the party.

* * *

><p>Merida is <em>not <em>a morning person. Neither is Jack Frost.

So it's a surprise when she is, early one morning, rudely awoken by her boyfriend – who, by the way, isn't even supposed to be in her house. She certainly went to sleep alone last night.

"Today," Jack announces, as he levitates a tray full of breakfast and sits, cross-legged, at the end of Merida's bed, "is a very special day."

"Oh?" she inquires, sitting up and pushing down the blankets, and she notices Jack's eyes roam, just for a minute, before she laughs and says, "Frost, why the hell are you here?"

"I came in by the front door and made you breakfast," he says, and with a swish and flick the tray is lowered before her – a plate full of waffles, a small bowl of maple syrup, a couple of strawberries, a steaming mug of hot chocolate and, of course, an apple.

"I noticed," she says, and she yanks him down by the front of his shirt and kisses him, hard. "Thank you."

There's a goofy smile on Jack's face as he wriggles under the blankets next to her. "I haven't finished yet," he tells her, his arm snaking around to rest on the pillows behind her. "Today is a very special day."

"Why is it a very special day?"

"Because," Jack says, cheerfully, "this is our anniversary! It's when you _finally _said yes and agreed to go out with me!"

Merida lowers the mug of hot chocolate, very slowly, and something catches in her throat. "You remember that day?"

"Of course I do," Jack says. "Eugene and Snotlout and McIntosh had to put up with me talking about you the whole night."

"I would say I kept Astrid up talking about you – but I didn't."

"Very funny, Dunbroch. But I bet she had to stay up after you went out on a couple of dates with me." Jack spears a small square of waffle and pushes it into Merida's mouth.

She swallows it, indignantly, as Jack grins up at her. "I'm not saying anything. And what was that?"

"Me feeding you," he says, innocently.

"I can feed myself, Jack."

"But I _want _to feed you."

"You're whining."

"But I _want _to."

"If I kiss you, will you shut up?"

Jack considers this. "Probably."

She pulls him in for another kiss. When they break apart, Jack has the presence of mind to levitate the breakfast tray onto Merida's desk before he yanks her down under the covers.

* * *

><p>"I need to confess something."<p>

Merida looks over at Jack, sharply. After both of them finally emerged from her bedroom at about ten am, only to spend another hour in the shower, Jack has brought her over to Hogsmeade, of all places. They've been here for hours, and right now they're walking down the street as the sun glints down on them, lighting up her hair like fire, causing Jack's hair to shine like snow.

"What did you do this time?" she wants to know, looking at him suspiciously.

"Actually, it's kind of what I didn't do." Jack shrugs, looking at her sheepishly, and then he takes her hand before she can say anything. "Come on."

He drags her all the way up to Hogwarts, pulls her through the gates and across the grounds until they're standing at the lake.

"You know," Jack says, "this was where I decided that I would ask you out."

Merida looks over at him. "Here?"

"Yeah." He smiles, squeezes his hand, and gazes back out at the lake. "You were with Astrid, over there, beneath that tree. And a couple of idiots from Slytherin were harassing this kid who was from Slytherin too. And I thought no one would help him, because he was a Slytherin and you guys were all Gryffindors and Ravenclaws and stuff."

"I remember," Merida says, frowning. "I think I do. They were messing with Jamie Bennett, weren't they? The arseholes."

"Yeah. Jamie." Jack smiles again. "I was going to get up and over there when you got up and beat the crap out of them for picking on him."

"Snape made me clean out his stores for two weeks." Merida makes a face. "Thank God McGonagall took over my detention instead after that."

"You're missing the point here, Rida." Jack turns to look at her, and for a moment he's lost in a bright, sky blue, eyes shining and looking up at him. "I mean, I already thought you were pretty amazing before that. And after that – well, let's just say it strengthened my resolve."

Merida doesn't say anything. Suddenly this moment feels special, feels precious, and she doesn't want to break the spell.

"I meant to do this a lot better," Jack admits. "But I'm not so good with the overly-romantic stuff. And, I mean, I don't know. I thought you would like this."

His eyes search hers.

He takes a deep breath.

"Merida Dunbroch, will you marry me?"

* * *

><p><strong>i don't know. it's awkward. it's so awkward. what do you think? <strong>


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